


Home Is Where The Magic Happens

by okaethen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Gen, Other, Superpowers, Witches, i love my sons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-02 21:49:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16313279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okaethen/pseuds/okaethen
Summary: Series of mini drabbles about the Seo household supernatural shenanigans.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> [powers thread](https://twitter.com/johnnys_strap/status/1051958731641098240)

Tucked in the middle of a vast sea of trees stood secluded a cottage. And through said cottage, ripped a blood-curling shriek that woke most of the animals in the surrounding area. 

“I swear to gods, Chenle I’m gonna kill you!” It wasn’t an unfamiliar occurence for the Seo household to wake with curses directed towards one rather mischievous boy. Today’s shriek was that of Donghyuck’s, who’s probability of waking up with rainbow colored hair went from null to one hundred percent overnight. 

“I didn’t do it!” Chenle cried, scurrying away from the older boy. Donghyuck had run out of the bathroom the chase after Chenle, his hands bursting into flames and his eyes were just as passionate. The younger ran towards the stairs, flying down them towards the familiar door that always represented his safety. Before he could reach the doorknob, the mahogany swung open. Chenle squealed and ran towards the figure that stood behind it to hide from Donghyuck. Johnny sighed heavily.

“What happened?” He didn’t even get his coffee yet. What time was it? Was the sun even up? Did they wake the other kids? Johnny raised his eyebrow at Donghyuck, who moved to hide his flaming fingers behind his back, the temperature in the room steadily rising. 

“Lele made my hair rainbow!” The older of the two wailed. Chenle gripped onto the fabric of Johnny’s shirt tightly, tilting his head to squint immaturely at the accuser.

“Nuh uh! I fell asleep before you last night!” Johnny started sweating and he just knew that something would catch on fire soon enough if this went on.

“Lele, I know you like to have fun, I don’t blame you. But you have to respect others’ wishes as well, okay?” Chenle pouted up at him.

“But it wasn’t me!” he whined. Johnny sighed again and shook his head before turning to Donghyuck.

“You still look very handsome, Hyuckie. Even with rainbow hair,” he assured him. The older teen didn’t seem pleased with the answer though.

“That’s not the problem!” he pushed. “The orange hair is iconic, Johnny! It takes two hours to get to the city so I can buy more hair dye, I don’t wanna go to the city again!” Johnny understood. He wasn’t in the mood to make a two hour trip into the city either. But it seemed that he wouldn’t have to, for slowly, Donghyuck’s hair faded back into the iconic bright orange Donghyuck so loved. 

“I told you it wasn’t me!” Chenle grinned victoriously at Donghyuck. The elder frowned in confusion at him. “Your hair is back to orange,” Chenle explained with a roll of his eyes. Donghyuck gasped. If it wasn’t Chenle…

The sound of Jaemin’s ruthless cackles resounded around the house. The temperature shot back up and potted plant that decorated the hallway caught fire. Johnny yelped. Not Bertha! 

“I’m going to set you on fire Jaemin!” Donghyuck roared, storming down the hallway to the kitchen, trying to find Jaemin, who probably had disguised himself into another boy or turned himself into a piece of furniture. 

Johnny examined the ceiling for a moment before letting his eyes slide closed and take in a deep breath. He grabbed Chenle’s hand gently before making his way to the poor charred plant. He dug his fingers into the dried soil and traced a small rune of healing, before leaving to let his magic do the work. That had been the thirteenth time poor Bertha had gone up in flames. 

 

By the time breakfast had been made and set, all of the kids were up. Renjun had strolled in minutes ago coolly, using his powers to cool down the temperature rise Donghyuck had made, but also letting a soft gust of wind ruffle his hair like he was in a commercial. Jeno had choked on his orange juice.

Jaemin was still alive, to some degree. Johnny had to pull Donghyuck off of the other’s neck. Jaemin was just laughing the whole time, having a blast while changing the colors in Donghyuck’s hair. 

Jisung sat on his bed and watched the whole time, not awake enough to even think of trying to soothe the fire user. The only one who went about his routine normally was Jeno, bless that boy. Johnny ran his hand through the strands of the hydrokinetic’s hair and greeted him good morning as he tried to get the coffee machine running. 

Johnny summoned Taeyong while he was at it, letting the spirit take care of the two fighting boys. It worked immediately as the deity walked back into the kitchen with the ears of each boy between his fingers. 

“Ow ow ow- Coffee!” Jaemin practically bolted for the machine, but Taeyong curled his fingers around the collar of the boy’s tee shirt and held him back. 

“This house is a mess,” the spirit grumbled. Johnny threw him a sheepish smile.

“I’m doing my best to take care of seven boys with short fuses and supernatural abilities, of course it’s bound to get rowdy.” In the whole truth, Johnny adored the boys. Sure, they made mornings hard and disciplining them was a little complicated, but he wouldn’t trade them for any runestone in the world. He raised each of them from their Showings and made sure they were safe. His priority was their happiness and safety, the cleanliness of his house could take a backseat. 

Taeyong knew that though. The spirit hummed and smiled warmly at the summoner. “You may have your hands full but you’re doing great Johnny, don’t forget that.” The boys collectively fake gagged and Johnny could feel his magic tether to Taeyong strain with annoyance. “Don’t gag you overgrown sprouts!” he barked. Jaemin started laughing and Jeno scrunched his face up.

“Adults are too soft,” Donghyuck murmured. Taeyong stuck his tongue out at him, releasing him and Jaemin from his grasp.

“You start appreciating things differently when you’re mature,” Taeyong countered. Johnny couldn’t help but laugh as his little family bickered back and forth. Jeno raised a questioning eyebrow at him and Johnny just shook his head. 

“Where’s Mark, by the way?” Taeyong asked after Renjun had made his grand entrance. Jisung looked up from his cereal to search for Mark’s thread of emotion. 

“Cold shower,” he answered with a disgusted look on his face. Everyone groaned at the table.

“Right in front of my cereal,” Jaemin muttered, scrunching his nose and dropping his spoon inside the bowl with a loud clink. “Nasty.”


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the Seo family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify:  
> Jisung & Chenle: 12  
> 00' liners: 14  
> Mark: 15

“Patience Jeno,” Johnny murmured softly. He sat opposite of Jeno, who’s brow started collecting sweat as he tried to levitate the liquid wax in the cup. Some liquids were easy for him to manipulate. Water and water-based liquids could easily bent and changed at his will. Then there was fat, oil, or alcohol based liquids. Inorganic matters didn’t care, but the particles in organic matters did. They didn’t like being altered and they certainly didn’t appreciate Jeno trying to give them a definite shape. 

“I am patient,” Jeno replied, letting his magic wash over him refreshingly. The synapses in his fingers sparked with a cool shock and he could feel the energy oozing out of him steadily as he tried to get the lipid to leave the cup. 

“I can practically feel your magic from here, you’re going in too strong. Try a lighter approach and nudge the wax out, not force it out. You can do it.” Johnny’s voice was calm, believing in Jeno. The boy nodded, not moving his eyes away from the cup. He tried to reel in his magic, try to coax the wax out soothingly. The liquid moved in the cup, unsticking itself from the sides. Johnny’s eyes crinkled encouragingly, watching the movement intently. Finally, the wax was levitating slightly in the cup. Jeno’s brow furrowed as he tried to apply more pressure in his magic, wanting the wax to float out of the cup entirely. With each centimeter it moved, the hydrokinetic layered another layer of magic until he started getting dizzy with sensory overload. Johnny noticed and placed his hands over Jeno’s. The wax promptly fell back into the cup and Jeno was hit a wave of exhaustion. 

“Woah,” he whispered, his head felt like it was on a different plane of existence. Johnny reached out and traced a rune over Jeno’s forehead, tapping it once and letting his own magic overwhelm Jeno.

It always caught the boys by surprise how much sheer and sharpened magic Johnny had. His craft was much less destructive than the others’, but it was so powerful that a single tap of his fingers reeled Jeno back into the kitchen and made the pain in his body disappear. The boy never felt so energized in a moment, what would happen if Johnny lingered his fingers for longer than a tap over the rune. 

“Woah is correct. I think that’s enough for today. Don’t push yourself too hard Jeno, you still have ways to go, but you’re incredibly strong. You have very good control over your magic, you just need more practice,” Johnny praised. Jeno nodded, still feeling the warm buzz soothing his nerves. Once Johnny’s rune stopped healing him, Jeno’s senses felt fuzzy . Johnny chuckled as the boy’s eyelids drooped slightly. “Come on, take a nap before dinner, yeah?” Johnny stood to gather Jeno into his arms. Jeno mumbled softly and let himself be carried to his shared room with Mark. Johnny placed him gently on his bed and pat his cheek gently. Jeno hummed and rubbed his cheek further into Johnny’s warm hand. 

“Don’t try to make dinner dad…” Jeno whispered. The older’s heart clenched warmly. Tears prickled in his eyes. 

Jeno’s Showing was much later than that of the others’, and he was therefore the most reluctant to leave his parents’ side. While Donghyuck was given to him when he was an infant; Jaemin, Mark, and Renjun when they were two years old, Chenle and Jisung had landed in his arms when they were three, Jeno had come to him when he was five. Jeno had created a whirlpool at a public swimming pool because a particularly pretty girl had talked to him. While all of his other Showings had gone unnoticed, Jeno’s parents had finally realized that their son wasn’t fully human. By then, Jeno was already quite attached to them. On top of that, all of the other kids had known each other for a year and had grown accustomed with each other and with Johnny. Jeno had isolated himself for months, refusing to talk to any of them,  _ especially _ not to Johnny. The summoner was at a loss of what to do. Jeno cried for his parents for weeks on end. The inconsolable child couldn’t understand that his parents had left him. It tore apart Johnny’s heart for days on end until Donghyuck had enough of seeing his father’s smile falter everytime Jeno refused to join them for training. The six year old lectured the hydrokinetic long and emotionally while Johnny was busy training Mark not to make every metal surface he encountered buzz with electricity.

Jeno had cried and run into Johnny’s arms that night, apologizing profusely and that he didn’t mean to make Johnny hyung sad, he just missed his parents! Johnny stood shocked as the six year old wiped his face against his pants. He picked up the child and ruffled his hair with a smile, telling him that it was okay, he understood Jeno.

It took a long while before Jeno could accept that he’d never see his parents again and that Johnny and the funny looking people that appeared in the house were the only people left to take care of him. It took even longer for Jeno to start calling Johnny dad.

It happened randomly. The little family was out apple picking in the back of the cottage. While Donghyuck was busy eating apples and Chenle used his powers to increase the probability of him getting rounder, prettier apples, Jeno had climbed up in the tree to try to get one particularly juicy one. He placed his foot on a dried branch and felt his heart leap in his throat as he fell. “Dad!” Jeno had screamed. Johnny had never run faster. He caught Jeno and held him to his chest, heart thrumming in his chest. The eight year old boy clung onto Johnny tightly, tears feeling hot in his eyes, and stinging him. Johnny ran his fingers through his jet black hair and did his best to soothe him. He’d realize later that Jeno had called him dad and his heart would burst with affection for the boy. 

 

Johnny hummed softly as Jeno’s eyes finally shut. Johnny turned around and left the room, quietly shutting the door. The other boys had gone out with Doyoung to do some sparring outside while he did a one-on-one with Jeno. He slid the glass door to the porch open, stepping onto the faded red wood. Jaemin sat in the middle of the field, the illusion of a flower crown adorning the pink wisps of his hair. Around him, the illusions of soldiers sparred with the other boys. Reflex practice, it seemed. Jaemin watched with an amused grin on his face. Doyoung stood on the porch to make sure everything was safe. Johnny stepped next to the spirit. Doyoung glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Jeno?” he asked curiously. Johnny smiled and waved at him.

“Used too much magic. Though he did manage to manipulate a lipid,” he stated proudly. Doyoung smiled gently.

“That’s good progress. Lipids are the hardest to manipulate.” Johnny nodded.

“I’m proud of him. For someone who only started training at six years old, he’s progressing scarily fast.” Johnny’s heart swelled. 

The fighting on the field slowed to a stop as the kids tired themselves out. Chenle fell oh his butt with a heavy sigh, his forehead shining with sweat. The other boys followed in suit, minus Jaemin, who promptly waved his illusions out of existence and got off the grass to bound towards Johnny and his spirit, flower crown still in place. 

“Johnny did you see? Did you see how intricate my illusions were?!” Jaemin smiled brightly at him, waiting for praise. Johnny laughed and ruffled his hair.

“You’re getting better everyday Jaemin. But how about the other senses?” Johnny smirked at the change in Jaemin’s expression. He scrunched his nose and the flowers in his hair withered before disintegrating and fading out like the soldiers did. It was always exhilarating to watch Jaemin weave and undo his illusions. They looked so real, so detailed. Tricking the sight didn’t require much energy for Jaemin, and he had incredible stamina. That’s why the boy didn’t like practicing tricking the other senses, touch especially. It required so much energy and Jaemin did not like feeling tired. Johnny wasn’t having any of but it wasn’t any of it though. Tricking the eyes could only get him so far. 

“Come on Jaemin, make me feel a pinch on my arm,” Johnny prompted. Jaemin squinted up at him. By then, the other boys had gotten up from where they fell on the grass and Doyoung was quick to make sure none of them were overexerted. Jaemin frowned and closed his eyes, visualizing Johnny’s arm. He then felt his magic bubble up in his head, pooling itself in his mind as he weaved the image of his hand reaching up to Johnny’s arm. 

“Imagine what a pinch feels like,” Johnny instructed. Jaemin felt his synapses spark and tried to replicate the feeling of the dull pain. The boy frowned. He felt like he wasn’t doing anything. He focused harder, his hands balling into fists at his side. He felt his magic expand, taking a more solid, physical state. His metaphorical fingers touched Johnny’s skin and pressed. Johnny hissed and Jaemin’s eyes snapped open. 

“Did I do it?” he asked excitedly, his head starting to pound mildly, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Johnny grinned at him proudly.

“Felt it like it was your own hand,” he assured. Jaemin’s eyes sparkled happily, a grin making its way onto his face. The flower crown on his head reappeared, but it was much simpler, less detailed than it was before.

“See! I don’t even need practice, I’m just  _ that _ good!” Jaemin puffed out his chest confidently. Johnny chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah okay hotshot. You can’t even conjure up a proper illusion right now. If anything, you need more practice,” he retorted. Jaemin deflate with a whine. Johnny smiled at him gently. “You can bet that your one-on-one practice session day is tomorrow.” Jaemin pouted. Practice always left him so drained and tired. 

“I can totally conjure a superb illusion right now!” Jaemin closed his eyes and let his energy buzz to his mind and his fingertips. He reached out and weaved. At first, a two dimensional daisy materialized in the air before Jaemin unfolded it into a three dimensional one, with the veins showing through the translucent petals. The daisy fell to the ground and the petals grew upward, shelling themselves like a bud before they opened again, but inside, sitting on the central disc was a miniature replica of Renjun. The little aeromancer was dancing inside the flower like the little ballerina inside a jewelry box. 

Johnny watched breathlessly as Jaemin weaved and weaved, the intricacy of his illusion increasing with each detail added. The flower looked so real. Johnny could  _ see _ the specs of pollen on the disc, and each of mini-Renjun’s little fingers as they curled into a position. 

The daisy then morphed into a fly trap and its jaw-like petals snapped up, trapping mini-Renjun there and then sliding into the ground, as if it had risen from there. Jaemin opened his eyes, sweat beginning to shine on his forehead and his heart thumping loudly, but his eyes glimmered with mirth and Johnny couldn’t help but be so proud of him. 

“Jaemin that was beautiful,” he praised. Jaemin’s smile blinded him. That illusion was the most complex he’d ever seen the boy produce.

“You always said I had amazing stamina,” Jaemin teased. Johnny rolled his eyes gently and took Jaemin’s hand into his. He traced a small rune over the boy’s palm and tapped it. Jaemin hummed with energy. He felt refreshed, as if he’d just downed a cup of coffee, minus the jitter. 

“Go get cleaned up, don’t think I don’t know you didn’t take a shower yesterday. I can smell it.” Johnny made a show of sniffing the air and scrunching up his nose. Jaemin winked at him.

“Just you wait until I learn how to manipulate your sense of smell.” He cackled evilly as he stepped towards the sliding glass door to enter the house. The other boys had already started gathering their belongings to shower. Johnny followed him inside and stopped at the kitchen. Doyoung came sauntering in and plopping down at the dinner table. 

“Watch out,” he warned. “Mark shoved Donghyuck out of the way to get the shower and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna mess with the temperature as payback.” Johnny laughed shortly, shaking his head. 

“I wouldn’t hold it against him. I might need to start preparing salves for burns.” Doyoung raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You? Working with potions? Voluntarily? I didn’t think I’d ever hear of it.” Doyoung was one of Johnny’s first summons. The archer spirit was summoned by accident when Johnny was fourteen. Johnny was practicing runes, drawing them, memorizing new ones, and trying to activate them with his magic. His mind started wandering and Johnny drew a stray line while trying to draw a particularly intricate frosting rune and tried to activate it, not having realized he did. Imagine how shocked Johnny was when the rune started glowing and not start freezing the floor. Instead, it created a small portal and out stepped 14 year old Doyoung, confused and slightly annoyed. He’d stayed with Johnny since.

Johnny rolled his eyes. He never liked potion work. He’d much rather buy them from expert brewers, but he’d resign himself to a life of making nothing but potions and salves if any of his kids asked him to.

“Shut up, you know I’d do anything for them,” he retorted. Doyoung hummed and nodded, placing his cheek on his hand. 

“Valid. They’re practically your children.” Johnny made a contemplative face and shrugged.

“They are my kids,” he stated finally. Doyoung stopped and rolled the statement in his head before shrugging casually and nodding.

“Fair enough.” Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out Doyoung’s designated runestone. The small stone came to life in the presence of Doyoung. He had spent days carving Doyoung a perfect runestone, but now it was old and the symbol was faded. Maybe he should make him a new one… 

Doyoung didn’t protest as Johnny thanked him for his help and pressed his fingers to the stone, letting the symbol carved glow and watching Doyoung’s being become translucent and floating into the stone. He put the stone back into his pocket so he could place it back into his satchel safely with the others later. Johnny listened to the soft banter that resonated throughout the house. Mark and Donghyuck fighting yet again, Chenle screeching as Jisung and Jaemin laughed loudly. Jeno hadn’t woken up, thank god. Renjun yelled at Chenle to shut up and the younger squawked in indignation. 

Johnny laughed softly and turned his head to see the light from the sun slowly creeping under the trees. He basked in the moment of the sunset and turned around to make his way to his room. The mahogany door greeted him with a few charred handprints from where Donghyuck had gotten too excited to tell him something and accidentally touched the door. There were a bunch of colors decorating the lower half of the door as well. Jisung had discovered colored markers and set his mind on marking every surface in the household with them. Johnny didn’t have the heart to clean the ones on his door.

He placed his hand on the copper knob and entered the room. His family had put their imprint on every inch of the room. Some of Chenle’s hoodies lay discarded in one corner of the room from when he sneaked into his room after a particularly bad nightmare. Renjun’s moomin plushies that he’d given to Johnny for his birthday last year all cuddled on his bed. Lichtenberg figures adorned random places on his floor from when Mark couldn’t control his powers for the life of him and shot small darts of lightning whenever he stumbled over the now destroyed carpets on Johnny’s floor. The coffee mug Jaemin gifted him last year stood proudly on his desk with the little compass Jeno had made. The boy bewitched the water so that the needle only ever pointed towards the cabin and their home. Jisung’s many drawings of their family and random things were held in place by fading tape on his walls and Donghyuck’s first baby shoes were hung from a small hook by his dresser. 

Johnny smiled fondly, taking a moment to take in how much his family had changed him. Changed him from a better person than he was twelve years ago; from the teen that jumped into trouble and almost died for it. His boys were his everything, he meant it when he said that. When he received Donghyuck he was still young, scarred, and terrified of what the future might hold. Two years later he took in three other boys and raised them as his own. He would never let any child he met suffer like he did.

“Are you okay dad?” Renjun’s soft yet worried voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Johnny’s eyes burned with unshed tears, but he made quick work of blinking them away to face his fourteen year old son with a smile. 

“I’m fine Junnie,” he assured. Renjun squinted up at him.

“Are you gonna call Kun-ge to make dinner tonight?” he asked with hope in his eyes. Johnny laughed and pat his head, walking into his room to grab his satchel off of his desk. He dropped Doyoung’s runestone in it and picked up Kun’s. He waved it at Renjun and the boy’s face brightened up.

“You know I wouldn’t dare try to make dinner by myself,” he joked. Renjun giggled and made his way down the hallway towards the kitchen. Johnny wrapped his hands around the rectangular stone and let his magic seep into it. Kun materialized with a smile and a hand on his hip.

“Calling me for dinner again Mr. Seo?” Johnny snorted at him and winked.

“For my kids, yeah. Might call you for desert later too though.” Kun gasped and hit his arm.

“Nasty.” The spirit turned around and walked the same direction Renjun did. Johnny followed after him with a hum. Renjun was sitting at the table, only having set it for himself. Johnny raised an eyebrow at him and the boy smiled innocently.

“Renjun, it’s selfish to set the table only for yourself. There are seven other people in this house,” Johnny reprimanded. Renjun’s smile didn’t falter.

“They pissed me off,” he explained. Johnny frowned. 

“Language mister.” Renjun pouted and crossed his arms, sinking further into his seat.

“Mark swears all the time! Why can’t I?” Johnny’s eye twitched at the accusation.

“Well thank you for letting me know that, I might have to talk to Mark about that now.” 

“Talk to Mark about what?” Chenle chirped from the doorway, walking in. He gasped when he saw the spirit dance around the kitchen. “Kun-ge!” Kun turned his head towards Chenle and smiled brightly.

“Hey Lele,” he greeted. 

Soon, Jisung and Jaemin’s racing footsteps resounded throughout the house and Renjun rolled his eyes. After them came the soft tapping of Jeno’s sleepy footsteps and Mark’s creeping ones. Johnny used the time it took for the food to finish to grill Mark about swearing, sending warning looks at the other kids as well. 

“It’s just a word!” Mark protested. Johnny looked at him. Mark shuddered in his seat. It was the look that screamed, “wanna keep trying my patience?” Johnny had mastered it over the years of trying to discipline his kids. They were all terrified of it because they knew that if they dared to keep going, it would not end up well for them. 

“I’ll do my best not to swear anymore,” Mark resigned, wanting to melt into the ground. Johnny smiled at him. 

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” He turned his attention to the other kids. “If you hear him swear, you tell me okay?” Immediately, all of their eyes flashed with something mischievous and turned their heads towards Mark like a pack of wolves. Mark sat horrified.

“Dinner’s done!” Kun called, interrupting the little moment of despair Mark was having. They all cried for joy and got up from their seat to serve themselves. Johnny sat patiently and waited until his sons were done to grab whatever was left. He thanked Kun gently.

“It means a lot that you do this for us,” he told him. Kun beamed and tapped Johnny's nose.

“It's always a pleasure to help out with the boys, however that may be.” Johnny couldn't be more thankful and proud.

“Dig in you pigs,” he said as he sat down. The boys dug in, ravenous. 

This was all Johnny would ever need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might make a chapter explaining the origins of each rune/spirit. And Johnny's backstory. And baby kids flashback. Shit I'm excited

**Author's Note:**

> [yell at me on twitter](https://twitter.com/johnnys_strap)  
>  or  
> [yell at me on curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/johnnys_strap)


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